1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for manual planting of bulbs and seedlings.
2 Discussion of Background
Planting bulbs and seedlings necessitates frequent bending and kneeling by the gardener. The effort required can be particularly tiresome and fatiguing when a large number of seedlings are planted at the same time, or when the soil must be tilled prior to planting in order to better accommodate the growing root structure of the seedlings.
A number of devices to assist in planting bulbs and seedlings are known. One such device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. Ser. No. 1,771,694, designed for use by a standing operator, requires that each seedling be inserted into a holder before planting. Other devices have elongated, angled tubes, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,048, through which a seedling may be dropped into a hole created by a movable dibble.
Yet another type of device for planting seedlings is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,417. This device has a dibble and a plant holder aligned with the planting hole and offset from the dibble. A hole is made in the soil with the dibble, then the plant and plant holder are lowered to the hole, and finally the device is retracted.
These devices are complicated to operate and contain a large number of moving parts which can become fouled with soil. Soil particles can cause moving parts to wear more quickly unless the implements are cleaned thoroughly and often. Proper operation of these devices presupposes that the soil has been prepared for receiving the plants, i.e. has been tilled.